1807.]} The Enquirer. 
where the greatest strength is evidently 
mwecessary. 
Lastly, the writer feels confident that, 
if the prejudice of old customs be not 
permitted to overcome truth and useful 
ajmprovement, the several superior pro- 
perties of his new method of erecting 
groined arches will be the means of bring- 
ing it inte general practice, to the utter 
seclusion of the old system; slice it has 
been proved that the octagonal piers oc- 
cupy less space an the plan, which is an 
important object where warehouse-rvom 
is scarce and valuable: also the arches, 
by the introduction of the diagonal ribs, 
are much stronger; and there will like- 
wise be a considerable saving of expence 
im point ef labour, to every arch. So 
that, under these united impressions, he 
“sels extreme satisfaction ‘in presenting 
these explanatory remarks, with the prac- 
tical model, to the consideration of the 
public in weneral, and of the architect and 
builder in ‘particular. 
N. B. The line or separation, appearing in 
the crown of the arch, as shewn by the model, 
is occasioned by irs beinz made in four parts 
for the convenience of taking it to pieces if 
mecessary ; but which line or separation, will 
mot, of course, take placein the real arch. 
For the Montidy Magusine. 
THE ENQUIRER.—No. XKIV. 
What is the natuRE of the INTERIOR 
PARTS Of the Bantu? or of the great 
Mass Of MATTER interjacent between 
ats SURFACE of CIRCUM@ERENCE and 
CENTRE? 
NUE grand problem concerning the 
origin of things and system of the 
world, has interested’ the attention, and 
occupied the powers of philosophers i in 
all ages; and various systems have -been 
framed, so cbseave in theinselves and 
contr adictor: y to each other, as to atford 
the cautious inquirer very little satisfac- 
tion; and, indeed, scarcely to do more 
than ieach him a humiliating lesson ou 
the weakness of human understanding. 
Of this preblem we may say, m the lan- 
guage of Jeb, speaking of the nature of 
the Almighty, “ {tis as high as heaven, 
what caust thou do? deeper than. hell, 
what canst thou know?” On the more 
limited subject of ‘geology, or an inquiry 
into the original formation of this terra- 
queous globe, and the causes which have 
produced its present structure and furmi+ 
ture, both external and internal, opi- 
hivns are not less various and inconsis- 
tent. And of this question we may say, 
LOE LOLOL OIE I A IE ITLL LTS 
* Job xi, 8. 
NO, KNIT: 143 
that if it is not © deeper, it is at least as 
deep as Viell;” for Lell, or Hades, has 
always been considered as situated In, of 
rather the same with, the “ deep places,” 
the innermost parts of the ear th. Thesa 
infernal regions have been allotted by 
the imaginatious of men for the mansions 
of departed Sol uls, whether 1 Ina state of 
enjoyment or suffering. The souls of 
men, if they were not tihised ty the rank 
of gods, or to the stars, were sapposed, 
as well as their bodies, to descend inte 
the earth, and te pass either ito Ely- 
sium or Tartarus. A conceit of this 
kind we find common to the lively fancies 
of the Greeks and Konmians,and the cloud- 
ec ae of Fins and Laplanders,’ 
They who believe.n a material and local 
Hell, a UE ice of elementary, penal, and 
-inextinguishable fire, generally suppose it 
to lie at the centre or in the innermost 
parts of the earth. Mr. Whiston, in- 
deed, does trot think any such Hell a 
cou ld be formed | by fire, ted with ee 
in the bowels of the earth, hot enough 
for the damned. He is of opinion, that 
the comets are. so many ‘hells appointed. 
au their orbits alternately to carry the 
damned into the confines of che sun, there 
to be scorched by its violent heat, and 
then to return with them beyond the orb 
ot Saturn, there to starve them in those 
cold and dismal resions, lowever, the 
®enerality of Christians are contented 
with an elementary, fierce, and everlast- 
ing fire in the central parts of the earth. 
Tn short, were we to be euided by either 
my thology or comments on the > Scripture, 
we should be at no loss, to give an ac= 
count of the uature:or materials that 
compose the internal parts of the earth. 
ue infernal regions, according to the 
nost common notions, bear a great ana- 
logy to those on its surface; only pak of 
the former are much better and plea- 
santer than any we are acquainted with, 
and others much worse, dismal, and into- 
lerable. 
Tt may be thought somewhat curious, 
that the system of central fre, adopted as 
the scene of future torments both by 
Christians and Mahomedans, perfectly - 
coincides with the most reael: and sa- 
tisfac tory theory of the earth; but be- 
fore we touch on this, it may be proper 
briefly to notice some other systems. 
A conjecture has been thrown’ ouf 
that the habitable earth, for ought that 
we know, may he: hollow, or a kind of 
vault. This, however, being merely 
imaginary, and unsupported even by any 
thing analogical in what we know of na- 
ture. 
